By Michael Letendre
NEW BRITAIN – The Bristol Central girls track and field squad competed at the 2022 CIAC Girls Outdoor Track and Field State Open from Willow Brook on Monday afternoon and while the Rams didn’t score any team points at the event, there were some outstanding individual efforts.
Sophomore standout Kylee Barnes – one of the record holders of the high jump at Central – did well over a loaded field.
“Kylee Barnes placed ninth overall in high jump, clearing 5-2,” said Bristol Central coach Kiara Bonilla-Jusino.
Barnes wasn’t far off the winning mark as Shaelyn Murphy from Maloney took the event with a make of five feet, four inches.
Barnes also qualified for the long jump at the Open, making a leap of 14 feet, one inch for 25th place from New Britain.
Also at the Open, Central’s Rebecca Litwinczyk placed 25th in the 200 meters with a finish of 27.35 seconds while in the 4×100 meter relay, the sprinter was back to work.
Central’s combination of Emily Blanchette, Litwinczyk, Francesca Amara and Lynae Lewis placed 19th with a time of 51.73 seconds.
Central had a very good season in 2022, winning the city series track meet against Bristol Eastern, improving by the meet, and making a big splash to end the scholastic year.
“Overall, the team this year showed a lot of growth and there is so much promise for the future,” said Bonilla-Jusino. “The relays continued to get stronger and faster with plenty of girls ready to step in for what was best for the team.”
And most of the squad will be returning in 2023, a team that earned a tie at the CCC South Championships just a couple weeks ago.
Destinee Craft and Kaiya Yuschak are the only two seniors on the team this year and a boatload of underclassmen should make Central a very strong contender in the CCC South once again next season.
“The Bristol Central girls track and field team is young and will have most returning since we only have two seniors,” said Bonilla-Jusino. “Senior Destinee Craft’s ability to jump (triple, long and high) and place high will be missed while Kaiya Yuschak stepped it up for the team in the pole vault this year and the team thanks them. As far as next year, plenty of positives coming from the end of the season. Coming in first with a tie to a tough Maloney at the CCC South Championship meet really showed the girls what they are capable of.”
“[It was a] great season overall!”
